Weedy sea dragon
The weedy sea dragon or common sea dragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus, is a marine fish related to the seahorse. It is the only member of the genus Phyllopteryx. It is found in water 3 to 50 m deep around the south coast of Australia, from Port Stephens, New South Wales to Geraldton, Western Australia. It also found in the waters around Tasmania. Weedy sea dragons are named for the weed-like growth on their bodies. This camouflage hides them as they move among the seaweed beds where they live. The weedy sea dragon is the aquatic emblem for the state of Victoria.[1]
| Weedy sea dragon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Picture by Ferdinand Bauer | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | Phyllopteryx Swainson, 1839
|
| Binomial name | |
| Phyllopteryx taeniolatus | |
| |
| Where weedy sea dragons are found. | |
Description
Weedy sea dragons can reach 45 cm in length. They feed on tiny crustaceans and other zooplankton, which they suck into the end of their long tube-like nose. They don't have a tail that can wrap around and hold on to things the way a seahorse can. They swim in shallow reefs and weed beds, and look like weeds drifting over bare sand.[2]
Breeding
Sea dragons, seahorses and pipe fish are the only species where the male carries the eggs. The male carries the fertilized eggs, joined under his tail. They stay there for about eight weeks until they hatch. The young can look after themselves as soon as they are born.[2] Breeding sea dragons in captivity is rare because scientists don't know what makes them breed in the wild. Keeping sea dragons in captivity is difficult.
The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, Melbourne Aquarium in Australia, and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee,[3] are the only places in the world to have bred weedy sea dragons, though others have been able to get them to lay eggs.[4]
Leafy sea dragons
A relative of the weedy sea dragon is the leafy sea dragon Phycodurus eques. In the November 2006, the National Geographic magazine, reported that marine biologist Greg Rouse is looking at the DNA of the two sea dragon species.
Weedy Sea Dragon Media
Common Seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus, from the Sketchbook of fishes by William Buelow Gould, 1832
Weedy Seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)
The weedy sea dragon is the marine state emblem for Victoria and a spectacularly camouflaged relative to the seahorse. We are lucky enough to have a resident population in Western Port Bay, Mornington Peninsula and this picture was taken at Flinders Pier using a compact Canon Powershot d20 camera.
Phyllopteryx taeniolatus - the Leafy seadragon, at the South East Asia Aquarium, located in the Marine Life Park of Singapore
References
- ↑ DSE Victoria
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Morrison, Sue; Storrie, Ann (1999). Wonders of Western Waters: The Marine Life of South-Western Australia. CALM. p. 68. ISBN 0-7309-6894-4.
- ↑ "Tennessee Aquarium". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- ↑ "Weedy Seadragons spawn for Hong Kong aquarist". AquaDaily. 2008-07-18. Archived from the original on 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
- Connolly (2006). Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006.
Other websites
- Australian Museum Online - Leafy and Weedy Seadragons
- Leafy Seadragons and Weedy Seadragons Archived 2008-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
- Weedy Sea Dragon Monitoring Program in Botany Bay Archived 2008-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
- Leafy Sea Dragon Festival Archived 2006-09-20 at the Wayback Machine
- Weedy Sea Dragon Archived 2009-01-16 at the Wayback Machine
- Youtube Male Weedy Seadragon with eggs
- Youtube Weedy Seadragon
- Male Weedy Sea Dragon carrying eggs Archived 2009-05-09 at the Wayback Machine